Batman (Software Creations)

This unnamed prototype of Batman, also known as "Real Shitty Batman!", was a game in production by Software Creations. As its nickname suggests, it is very lacklustre. By: Evan G Last updated: November 10, 2009

Someone wasn't happy with this game

I'll admit, for the longest time I thought that Batman: Revenge of the Joker (another unreleased Batman game for the SNES) was the game known as "Real Shitty Batman!". I believe this was the case because the former owner of the Revenge of the Joker prototype told me it was. However, members at the Lost Levels forums informed me there was a Batman prototype which makes Revenge of the Joker look like a masterpiece.

Software Creation's Batman received its name for good reason, this (obviously alpha) early prototype is terrible. Whoever originally released the ROM image to the masses hacked it so that the name was "Real Shitty Batman!". I am unsure who owns the prototype now, but it was sold by Castlevania4Ever sometime last year when he was getting out of the prototype market. Just to keep things clean, the ROM image that I am including in this article has been modified back to have the original header name (though if you really must have Real Shitty Batman!, the ROM image is out there).

The Prototype

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the prototype cart that this ROM image originally came from. In fact, for all I know, the source of the ROM image is not a prototype cart at all! Like many of the ROM images of unreleased games out there, it is very possible that this was leaked out back in the 1990s when Usenet was all the rage.

The game itself is in a very incomplete state, probably alpha. The game consists of two stages, plus an introductory screen that is the same for both levels. The gameplay is largely in the style of Final Fight, though the look and feel is much different from Software Creations' other superhero beat-em-ups, Maximum Carnage and The Tick. The sprites are very large, but aside from Batman, very undetailed and incomplete. The Joker makes an appearance at the end of the first stage, but the attack and damage sprites are identical to the other enemies of the game, albeit in a glitched form (see images below). The background of stage one is actually not too bad, though stage two, the enemy sprites kind of blend in with the background. The game has no sound, and the controls are rudimentary (the enemies do not get knocked back when hit, making it simple for them to gang up on you). At the very least, if you run out of health, you do not die.

Intro to the levels	Batman kicking the generic enemies

They already had breakable background objects, though they don't produce anything	The death animations are pretty non-existent. This guy looks like he hit rigour mortis very quickly!

The Joker makes an appearance at the end of the first level. It should have been called Real Ugly Joker AMIRITE!	The game was not far enough along to include animations of The Joker attacking, instead using a glitchy version of the regular enemies

The second level is largely undetailed compared to the first level, and ends after you beat the first wave of enemies	Tales of bad sprite drawing - the enemy sprite blends in with the background.

On the whole, this prototype is interesting in that Software Creations tackled other comic book properties, but never released anything by DC Comics. I'm sure this prototype was created as a mock-up for pitching the idea. Instead, we got the excellent (if you like beat-em-ups, unlike myself) Batman Returns by Konami, and the downright dreadful Batman Forever by Acclaim. I have included the ROM image, should anyone feel the need to play this.

Download ROM Image here

Bibliography

• Page on Unseen64 (link)